Submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
On the 28 April 2020 the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia made a submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.
The devastating 2019-20 bushfire season profoundly affected communities and ecosystems across Australia and brought into sharp focus the need to proactively mitigate, manage and prepare for the risks associated with changing global climatic conditions.
To support the social, health and economic recovery of individuals, businesses and communities the Academy suggests consideration be given to the establishment of a significant national coordination mechanism for bushfire and natural disaster recovery research to integrate and coordinate research capabilities in this area.
The Academy recommends that Australia’s land, fire and disaster management plans and systems should be developed with a core focus on effective contemporary Indigenous practices, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are centrally involved in all aspects of planning and implementation.
